Childcare Resources

North Carolina Division of Child Development

• North Carolina Division of Child Development
• Locate a child care provider in your area
• Understanding the star rating system

North Carolina's Smart Start Program

• Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Start
• New Hanover County Partnership for Children (Smart Start)
• Puzzles - Connecting the community to resources for children

The Department of Health & Human Services

• The Department of Health & Human Services
• Summary of North Carolina Child Care Laws & General Statues (PDF)

Local Area School Systems

• New Hanover County
• Pender County
• Brunswick County

Disclaimer: UNCW maintains this web site as a convenience to UNCW parents and legal guardians of children. UNCW does not screen child care services nor match potential child care services with specific parents or legal guardians. It is the responsibility of each individual to interact with prospective child care services regarding specific hours of operation, costs, and other requirements that each individual desires for his or her child. This listing is not inclusive nor does it constitute an endorsement, sponsorship, or support of any particular business entity.

UNCW offers Paid Parental Leave to promote physical and mental health for employee families, increase worker retention and improve worker productivity and morale. Paid Parental Leave provides four weeks of paid leave to parents for the bonding period (“Paid Parental Bonding Leave” or “Bonding Leave”) with a child due to birth, adoption or foster care placement.

The birth mother may receive an additional four weeks of paid leave for recuperation from the period of disability following the birth (“Paid Parental Recuperation Leave” or “Recuperation Leave”).

Frequently Asked Questions

I am eligible for Family & Medical Leave as a temporary employee. Am I eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

No. Only full- and part-time (half-time or more) employees who are in permanent, probationary or time-limited positions are eligible for Paid Parental Leave.

Time as a temporary employee, including student, graduate assistantships and postdoctoral fellowships can be included in determining the 12 months of continuous employment eligibility for Paid Parental Leave so long as the employee is in a permanent, probationary or time-limited position at the time of the qualifying event.

Will periods of leave without pay, such as leave due to workers compensation or short-term disability, count toward the immediate 12 preceding months?

Yes. If the employee remains employed by the State of North Carolina and does not incur a 31-day break in service, then the employee will be considered continuously employed, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Why are there two different types of Paid Parental Leave?

The two types cover different uses of the leave. The four weeks of Paid Parental Recuperation Leave is for the birthing parent to use for the disability / recuperation period following the birth of the child. The four weeks of Paid Parental Bonding Leave can be used by both parents for the bonding period associated with a newborn or placement of a child through adoption, foster care, or similar eligible events.

For this reason, the birthing parent may receive up to eight weeks of Paid Parental Leave (four weeks of Recuperation Leave; four weeks of Bonding Leave).

Why does the parent who didn't give birth only get four weeks of leave instead of eight?

The Paid Parental Recuperation Leave is applied only to the birthing parent for their recovery from the birth. The other parent does not have the same medical necessity for recovery as this birthing parent and so is not eligible for this type of leave.

Am I eligible for Paid Parental Leave if I am a surrogate?

Yes. Surrogates are eligible for up to four weeks of Paid Parental Recuperation Leave following the birth.

If I was approved for my four weeks of Paid Parental Bonding Leave following my spouse giving birth to my baby, can my supervisor require me to return to work early due to staffing issues?

No. Once an employee has received approval and has begun to take Paid Parental Leave, management cannot revoke approval based on staffing issues.

Can Paid Parental Bonding Leave be used for child placement due to a Guardian ad Litem assignment or for an in loco parentis arrangement?

In loco parentis is eligible under Paid Parental Leave. In loco parentis refers to a relationship in which a person is placed in the role of a parent by assuming and discharging the obligations of a parent to a child who is under 18.

Although no legal or biological relationship is necessary, grandparents or other relatives, such as siblings, may stand in loco parentis to a child as long as the relative satisfies the in loco parentis requirements and provide necessary documentation. Guardian ad Litem (GAL) assignments are not eligible under Paid Parental Leave.

Can Paid Parental Bonding Leave be used for required Social Service visits, court dates, doctor visits or following a child being placed with me through foster care?

Paid Parental Bonding Leave may only be used for bonding period with the child. Social Services and doctor visits as well as court dates that occur prior to the placement of the child may be scheduled by using other sources of leave.

Once the child is placed, incidental appointments that may occur during the four-week Bonding Leave are included within the Bonding Leave.

As an adoptive or foster parent, am I able to use Paid Parental Bonding Leave prior to the actual adoption, foster care, or other placement, such as travel to a foreign country to select and meet the child prior to the actual adoption?

No. Paid Parental Bonding Leave is not available until the qualifying event occurs. Once the child is placed, incidental appointments that may occur during the four-week Bonding Leave are included within the Bonding Leave.

Do I have to live with or be married to the mother of my child to be eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

No. If you provide an acceptable document certifying your eligibility and you meet all other requirements, then you will be eligible for Paid Parental Leave.

How can I find out if I am eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

For more details regarding eligibility, please consult with your benefits counselor.

Under what circumstances can employees request intermittent or delayed Paid Parental Leave?

Employees must use Paid Parental Leave (Recuperation or Bonding) for continuous blocks of up to four weeks. The four weeks of Recuperation Leave for the birth parent must be used immediately following the birth.

Either eligible parent may use the four-week Bonding Leave with the child for any continuous block of time within the 12 months following the birth or legal placement. For the birthing parent, the four-week Bonding Leave does not have to occur immediately following the four-week Recuperation Leave. Although the Bonding Leave cannot be used intermittently, parents are not required to use the entire four weeks of Bonding Leave.

Are employees eligible for Voluntary Shared Leave when using Paid Parental Leave?

Voluntary Shared Leave has specific eligibility rules that may allow for some portion of the absence to be eligible. Consult with your institution’s human resources office for additional information. Voluntary Shared Leave cannot be used for the bonding period with a child for either parent under Paid Parental Leave or Family & Medical Leave. Voluntary Shared Leave may be used during Family & Medical Leave if the birthing parent has exhausted the four-week Paid Parental Recuperation Leave and exhausted all other available leave but has further medical issues associated with the birth.

If Voluntary Shared Leave is being used to cover the remainder of the disability period associated with the birth, then the birthing parent is not required to apply the 4-week Bonding Leave until after the available Voluntary Shared Leave has been applied. Regardless, the four-week Recuperation Leave must be used prior to using Voluntary Shared Leave for the disability period following the birth.

What if I have a remaining balance of Paid Parental Leave but separate from employment?

Paid Parental Leave is not paid out if it is not used. If an employee leaves state employment, their eligibility for Paid Parental Leave ends.

I am a spouse caring for the birth mother during her period of disability after childbirth; am I able to use Paid Parental Leave for that purpose?

No. Spouses cannot use Paid Parental Bonding Leave during the disability period for the purpose of caring for the spouse; however, they could choose to use Paid Parental Bonding Leave to bond with the child within the same period that the birth parent is taking Paid Parental Recuperation Leave or choose to use Family & Medical Leave (if eligible) to care for the birth parent during the recuperation period and then use the Paid Parental Bonding Leave at some other time within the first 12 months after the birth.

If a child is stillborn or miscarried, can Paid Parental Leave still be used?

If the pregnancy results in a stillbirth at twenty weeks or greater into the pregnancy, then the birth mother is allowed to use up to four weeks of Paid Parental Recuperation Leave immediately following the event. Miscarriages or other issues related to a pregnancy are not qualifying events under Paid Parental Leave but may be covered under Family & Medical Leave for one or either parent.

Are paid holidays or adverse weather closings included when counting time used for Paid Parental Leave?

Paid holidays occurring during a full week of Paid Parental Leave count toward the Paid Parental Leave entitlement. Paid holidays occurring during a partial week of Paid Parental Leave do not count against the Paid Parental Leave entitlement, unless the employee was otherwise scheduled and expected to work during the paid holiday.

Condition 3 Adverse Weather closings with pay are counted as part of an employee’s use of Paid Parental Leave, consistent with other leave programs, and would not extend the Paid Parental Leave period.

Are grant-funded employees eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

Yes. Funding source is not a requirement or restriction for eligibility, so long as the employee meets all other eligibility requirements.

What are the documentation requirements and submission deadlines for Paid Parental Leave?

For information on process and procedures for applying for Paid Parental Leave, please consult with your benefits counselor.

Why aren't’t faculty eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

Non-leave earning faculty (and leave-earning 12-month faculty at some institutions) are eligible for the Faculty Serious Illness & Disability Leave program, which provides a comparable benefit to this Paid Parental Leave program.

Do parents receive additional Paid Parental Leave due to multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.)?

No. A multiple birth is considered one qualifying event, and the same leave is provided. Parents do not receive Paid Parental Leave for each child born in a multiple birth event.

If I already used my 12 weeks of Family & Medical Leave for a previous event, will Paid Parental Leave still provide me with the same job protection as I would have under Family & Medical Leave?

Yes. 

If I have exhausted my 12 weeks of my Family & Medical Leave, am I still eligible?

Yes. Paid Parental Leave runs concurrent with Family & Medical Leave; however, if Family & Medical Leave has been exhausted, an employee is still eligible for Paid Parental Leave so long as all other criteria are met.

If I have a baby in January and then have a second baby in December of the same year, am I eligible for a second Paid Parental Leave period for the second birth?

No. Employees are allowed one qualifying event per 12-month period. The 12-month period begins with the birth or placement of the child, so if another child is born within that 12-month period, the birth would not be a qualifying event for Paid Parental Leave.

Can I use six-eight weeks of sick leave during the period of disability after a birth and then take eight weeks of Paid Parental Leave after to remain out for a total of 14-16 weeks?

No. The birthing parent must use Paid Parental Recuperation Leave prior to using sick or vacation leave for the birth. All Paid Parental Leave must be used concurrently with available Family and Medical Leave.

If I am a new permanent employee (new to state service), and I give birth six months after my hire date, am I eligible for Paid Parental Leave?

No. An employee must have twelve months of continuous state service and have been in pay status for 1,040 hours in the previous 12 months to be eligible for Paid Parental Leave.